Shifting the landscape of gender and diversity

The number of women in tech in Europe is an average of 16%. This guide offers a collection of articles highlighting some of the prominent issues surrounding increasing the number of women in the IT industry.

By submitting my Email address I confirm that I have read and accepted the Terms of Use and Declaration of Consent.

By submitting your personal information, you agree that TechTarget and its partners may contact you regarding relevant content, products and special offers.

You also agree that your personal information may be transferred and processed in the United States, and that you have read and agree to the Terms of Use and the Privacy Policy.

Federal regulators are looking into claims that Sun Microsystems discriminated against US workers in favour of foreign workers on temporary visas during the company's November layoffs.

Sun spokeswoman Diane Carlini confirmed that the preliminary investigations by the US Department of Labor and the US Department of Justice began after a complaint filed in April by former Sun employee Guy Santiglia.

Carlini said Santiglia, an engineer who was one of 3,900 workers laid off in October, filed a complaint with the two agencies alleging that he and others were laid off by Sun, which then hired foreign workers on a non-immigrant, working professional visa known as the H-1B visa, in order to save money. He claimed that foreign workers would be paid less than US workers.

Carlini said Santiglia's claims are without merit. She said Sun's decision to hire or lay off workers is based solely on a person's qualifications for a particular job, not his residency status. She said only 5% of Sun's employees held H-1B visas.

"Santiglia claims he should have been given another job because he is a US citizen," she said. "If he had the necessary skills, he would have been offered another job."

Carlini said Sun does not break out employees' pay rates based on their status as residents.

In 2000, the US Congress raised the cap for H-1B visas because of a shortage of technical workers. Santiglia claimed the program allows companies such as Sun to hire foreign workers and pay them less than their US counterparts.

Neither Santiglia nor a spokesman for the Justice Department could be reached for comment. A Labor Department spokeswoman said she could not confirm or deny an investigation.

0 comments

Register

Login

Forgot your password?

Your password has been sent to:

By submitting you agree to receive email from TechTarget and its partners. If you reside outside of the United States, you consent to having your personal data transferred to and processed in the United States. Privacy